Doubront, Aceves in the mix for the Red Sox

BOSTON -- Felix Doubront believes he can one day be a starter for the Boston Red Sox. For now, he’s just fine with a role in the club’s bullpen.

The left-hander was activated from the disabled list Friday, and instead of being sent to Triple-A Pawtucket to be a starter, the Red Sox were in need of a southpaw since they designated Dennys Reyes for assignment.

Doubront was shut down during spring training with soreness in his elbow, and after a brief rehab, he says he’s ready to go.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I feel normal, like last year. My arm is strong and I’ve been able to control the ball.”

Doubront was ready to head to Pawtucket and start for the PawSox, but he was informed on Thursday that he would be activated Friday in Boston.

“In the future, I want to be a starter,” he said. “For now, I can do both roles and I’ll feel good about it. I feel good in the bullpen, but I’ve been a starter my whole minor league career.”

He said the biggest adjustment switching from the rotation to the bullpen is the warm-up. He’s made the transition a relatively easy one and admits it takes him only 15 pitches to get warm.

Fellow starter-turned-reliever Alfredo Aceves, who was called up from Pawtucket on Thursday, will also work out of the bullpen for Boston since Matt Albers was placed on the DL with a right lat strain.

“I’m here to help my teammates,” Aceves said.

Aceves was one of the last players cut at the end of spring training. He appeared in five exhibition games, posting a 0-1 record with a 4.05 ERA. After spending the last three seasons with the New York Yankees, posting a 14-1 record with a 3.21 ERA in 59 games, he dealt with injuries last season and did not re-sign with the Yankees. He signed with the Red Sox as a free agent on Feb. 9.

When asked about pitching against his former team, Aceves said: “The sooner, the better.”

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Joe McDonald

Joe McDonald, a native Rhode Islander, joined ESPNBoston.com as a Bruins and Red Sox reporter in February 2010. He worked at the Providence Journal for 18 years and covered the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, PawSox and Providence Bruins. He's a three-time winner of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's state Sportswriter of the Year for Rhode Island. Follow him on Twitter here.